Pepé Le Pew
| Pepé Le Pew | |
|---|---|
| Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character | |
| First appearance | Odor-able Kitty (January 6, 1945) |
| Created by | Chuck Jones Michael Maltese |
| Designed by | Bob Givens (1945) Robert Gribbroek (1947–present) |
| Voiced by | Mel Blanc (1945–1989) Jeff Bergman (1990–1991, 2004, 2012–2015) Greg Burson (1990–2003) Maurice LaMarche (1996) Joe Alaskey (2000–2010) Billy West (2000–2003) Terry Klassen (Baby Looney Tunes; 2002–2005) Bruce Lanoil (2003) René Auberjonois (2011–2012) Eric Bauza (2017–present) (see below) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Henri, Pepé Henri Le Pew (full name) |
| Species | Striped skunk |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Pitu Le Pew (cousin) |
| Significant other | Penelope Pussycat |
| Nationality | French |
Pepé Le Pew is a cartoon character from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, introduced in 1945. Depicted as an anthropomorphic French striped skunk, Pepé is constantly in search of love and romance, but his offensive odor typically causes other characters to run away from him. He usually pursues a cat who has accidentally had a white stripe painted on her back and tail.
Pepé Le Pew has been criticized for portraying the pursuit and harassment of unwilling female characters as comedy, with his behavior often interpreted as stalking or implying sexual assault. His exaggerated accent, mannerisms, and romantic behavior have also been criticized for reinforcing national and cultural stereotypes of French men as overly amorous and sexually aggressive.